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EU artists will require a visa to tour the UK following the Brexit transition period, it has been confirmed.

The UK triggered its exit from the European Union last month, entering a transition period that will end in January 2021.

Music industry bodies had asked for two year visas to be granted to musicians, making the touring process a little easier.

However a new policy paper from the Home Office has dismissed hopes for a reciprocal arrangement, confirming that EU musicians and sports players will need to apply for visas once Brexit is completed.

The move would mean that EU and non-EU countries are treated in the same way - but, as anyone involved with live music can testify, the process for gaining such a visa can often be complex.

Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, has issued a statement saying the body is “deeply disappointed” that free movement for artists from the EU has been ruled out.

She said: “We would ask the U.K. government to reconsider our call for a two-year, multi-entry visa. Any future immigration system does not exist in isolation and has huge implications for the negotiation of EU and U.S. trade deals and reciprocal arrangements. It is vital that any immigration system supports musicians who will need to tour in the EU post-Brexit.”

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